Tales of Symphonia: Breath of a New Era
by Skyler-Kaiba
Summary: A direct follow-up to the events in the second Tales of Symphonia game, Dawn of the New World. If you've never played it, or haven't finished it yet, please do not read this. Contains massive spoilers for things that happen, and especially for near endgame. Or, if you don't mind spoilers, you can go ahead and read. Rating subject to change, and title inspired by Breath of the Wild.
1. Chapter 1 Life-Saving Love

A/N: I own nothing Tales of Symphonia. It belongs to Namco and all the creators and blah blah. Anyway, this story is only my second Dawn of the New World fanfic, so please bear with me. Also, sorry for not updating my other stories for a while. My job keeps me pretty busy, and I have an unpredictable schedule at times.

Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World

Vanguard's Bitter End

Chapter 1

It was a fairly clear day, just a few days after Emil had returned to Marta in Palmacosta unexpectedly, when the two walked into the small village of Mizuho. They had come to the unique town to catch up with Sheena and find out what their friends were currently up to.

Lloyd happened to be there as well, taking a small break from his Exsphere Journey with Colette. He was the first to greet the two teenagers, both surprised and happy to see the blonde-haired, green-eyed boy again. He told them, "Hi, Emil! Hi, Marta! How are you two doing?"

Marta answered first, never one to remain quiet for very long, "I'm fine, Lloyd. How is the journey going for you and Colette?"

Emil responded, "I'm doing great, Lloyd. Thanks for asking. Yeah, how are things between you two?"

Lloyd blushed almost as red as his shirt and answered, "Oh, umm…they're fine. We're married now if you didn't know. It was about…two days ago."

Sheena spoke up from behind them, having been listening to the small conversation. She told them, "Yeah, it's too bad you two missed the wedding. It was really a beautiful ceremony, although, it was small and private with only friends in attendance." She sighed all dreamy-like then cleared her throat to regain her composure.

Not long after that, the redhead Chosen of Tethe'alla, Zelos, walked up and asked Lloyd, "So Lloyd, how is it to be married to Colette? The sex good?"

Lloyd's blush deepened and he shouted at Zelos in response, offended by his questioning, "None of your business!" He then calmed down a bit and turned to Emil and Marta. He asked the two of them, "So…is everything okay with you two?"

Marta smiled and answered, "Never better, Lloyd. Thank you for asking." She snuggled up against Emil's chest, then stood on her tiptoes and planted a chaste kiss on his mouth, eliciting a blush from the blonde boy.

Emil responded, "Y-yeah, things are…really great."

Lloyd asked, "Emil, if you don't mind my asking, how are you back anyway?"

Emil sighed, "It's a long story, and I'd like to spend some time alone with Marta before she turns herself in if you don't mind."

Sheena blinked, "Well, we don't mind, but…why would Marta need to turn herself into the authorities?"

Marta sighed and told them all, "Well…I was with the Vanguard for a while and…"

Lloyd sighed and told her, "Marta, we can vouch for you to the authorities that you always opposed the Vanguard. You may have been with them at one time, but I think you probably had good reason for that. Don't go throwing away your freedom out of a sense of guilt for what your father did."

Emil nodded, "I think Lloyd's right, Marta. You don't _have_ to do this."

Zelos added, "Yeah, what they said, and children shouldn't have to pay for the mistakes of their parents. I already told you that, Marta. So why is it that you insist on turning yourself in for your father's actions?"

Marta replied, "I…"

Emil said, "I think I understand where Marta's coming from. She's lonely and misses having her father around. Am I right, Marta?" He questioned, glancing down at the girl.

Marta responded, "Well…yes." She couldn't hide the truth. She missed having her father around because he provided a sense of security and family that she really couldn't get from Lloyd and the others…at least, not _yet_.

Emil told her, "You don't need to feel lonely, Marta. I'm here for you." He said, speaking his mind boldly without worrying about what anyone else said. This was a far cry from what he had been like when they first started out.

Marta managed a small smile and nodded, "Yeah, that's true. I guess…I still feel a little guilty for killing Alice too."

Lloyd spoke up, his voice a little shaky as he remembered the time he had to kill Marble to protect himself and Genis, "Marta…I don't know the details of what happened, but I'm sure you had good reason for taking her life. Otherwise you wouldn't have."

Sheena walked up to Lloyd and placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him as the memory replayed itself in his mind. When it passed, Lloyd shrugged her off and looked at the two, "Well, what are you two going to do now?"

Emil answered, "We're going to head to the Gaoracchia Forest actually. I heard that it's a really interesting and creepy place."

Marta smiled, "And really small and private too, so…yeah, we're going in there to spend time alone with each other. See ya later Lloyd, Sheena. Come on, Emil!" She grabbed his hand and began to drag him away from Lloyd and Sheena, but he stopped her from dragging him and the two walked hand-in-hand.

Lloyd looked like he was about to say something, but by the time he was going to say it, the two were already in the forest.

Zelos spoke up, "Hmm? Something wrong, Bud?"

Lloyd responded, "I guess you didn't hear the reports from the Mizuho scouts, but…supposedly there are a few Vanguard members left that are camping out in Gaoracchia Forest. I was going to warn those two, but they left before I got a chance to tell them."

Sheena got a worried look on her face when she heard that.

Colette walked up just then. She noticed the concerned expressions on everyone's faces and asked, "Lloyd, Zelos, and Sheena, what's going on?"

Zelos answered, "Emil and Marta just went into Gaoracchia Forest, where there's supposedly some Vanguard activity. Sure hope they know what they're doing."

Colette replied, "I'm sure they'll be fine. Emil's really strong."

Lloyd spoke up again, "Maybe…but if they're outnumbered they could still get hurt." He began to walk towards the archway leading into the village, keeping an eye out and an ear open for anything that seemed out of the ordinary.

Colette followed him, determined not to leave his side.

Sheena went back into the chief's house, getting changed out of her chief outfit and into her battle outfit just in case Emil and Marta did need help.

Meanwhile, in the Gaoracchia Forest, Emil and Marta had found a clearing with a single tree to spend some time alone in.

Emil was, for now, listening to Marta talk about how happy she was for Lloyd and Colette, and express how much she was looking forward to her own wedding one day. As he listened, the blonde swordsman thought he heard the sound of a snapping twig and stood to his feet, cutting Marta off. He asked, looking around the glen warily, "Hello? Is someone there?"

Marta blinked, "Emil…what's wrong? Did you hear something?" She snapped to attention and began to look around as well, wondering what could have caused Emil to just suddenly jump up like that.

Kylie, a young girl of about 18 with long black hair and deep blue eyes, stood in the single tree above the pair. Not wanting to get caught, she backed up against the trunk to stay hidden from view. She muttered, "Come on kids…nothing here to see." She would have to wait until Emil and Marta were once again engaged in conversation before continuing with her plan to kill the girl who had formerly been on their side.

Once Emil realized that there was nothing there, he gave a bit of sigh and turned to Marta, "Sorry for interrupting you, Marta…but I was sure I heard something."

Marta responded, "Maybe you're still a little on edge from having Ratatosk inside you for so long."

Emil smiled and gave a little nervous chuckle, "Heh, yeah…that must be it. Anyway, what were you saying?" He asked, looking back at Marta, waiting for her to continue.

Marta told him, "Oh, umm…" She thought a moment, then nodded, "I was just saying that I think any kids that Lloyd and Colette have will be really cute. Don't you think so?"

Emil smiled and nodded, "Yeah, really cute. And when they grow up, they'll be really handsome, or really pretty, depending on if they're boys or girls." He chuckled a little, nervous about what Marta might say next.

Kylie, noticing that Emil and Marta were distracted again, began to edge her way out onto a branch that hung just above Marta. She was getting poised to attack the girl. She muttered to herself, "So perfect…just keep talking like that, yes."

Emil thought he heard her again and looked around, "What's that?"

Marta asked, "What's what, Emil? Do you hear something again?"

Emil shrugged, "I don't know. I thought I heard a voice…but I could just be hearing things." He looked around and asked again, "Hello?"

Kylie stayed quiet and as still as a statue. She couldn't afford to get caught, not when she was so close to completing her revenge for Alice.

Emil sighed, "Well, I guess it was just my imagination again. Sorry, Marta."

Marta laughed, "No, that's all right Emil. You don't need to apologize."

Kylie smirked, "All right, perfect. Here I go!" She muttered to herself as she sprang onto a lower branch, getting ready to pounce on Marta.

Emil was still very aware of his environment and sensed her movement. He glanced around warily, "I feel like we're being watched Marta."

Marta nodded, "Yeah, me too. I wonder who it could be though."

Emil shrugged, "I don't know."

Kylie gulped. Emil was too close to figuring out that she was there, so she jumped off the branch and was about to stab Marta. However, sunlight reflected off her short sword and Emil noticed the reflection.

When he noticed that the girl was about to harm Marta, he jumped in the way, too late to be able to block the blow with his sword but still wanting to protect Marta. Kylie's short sword went through his back and she continued to stab him. Not wanting Marta harmed, Emil shoved her away from himself as the weapon came out his stomach. He told Marta, "M-Marta…Run!"

Marta stood there in shock and worry, concerned for Emil's well-being.

He gave a rough cough as Kylie twisted the sword in his gut, a horrible squelching sound echoing in Marta's ears, and said, "You get in my way, you pay the price, blondie!" She then pulled the sword out and shoved Emil to the ground, about to go after Marta again. However, she found herself stopped by the boy, who was gripping her ankle with a surprisingly strong grip for someone who had just been stabbed.

Emil shouted, "Marta…hurry and run! P-please…" Blood flowed freely from the wounds on his back and stomach. He was afraid that he would lose her if she didn't go…and he could barely stand up now because of the wounds on his body.

Tears filled Marta's eyes and she shouted back, shakily, "B-but Emil…!"

Emil insisted, not wanting her hurt as well, "Go…hurry!" He winced as Kylie managed to kick him off of her and slashed his right side with her short sword.

Marta gulped, but nodded, "Okay, I'll go get some help! Hang in there, Emil. Please!" She took out her spinner, but then turned and ran. She was going to get Lloyd, Sheena and Zelos. Hopefully, one of them would send word to Raine to meet them in Mizuho to heal Emil from his encounter. As she got to the entrance to Mizuho, she panted hard, and was also still a little pale from the shock of what happened to Emil. She then noticed Lloyd and said, "Lloyd! Help, please!"

Lloyd couldn't help but notice the panicked tone in the girl's voice and how pale she seemed and asked, "Marta, what's wrong? What's happened?"

Sheena and Zelos had overheard as well and came running over to the girl, having picked up the distressed note in the girl's voice.

Marta caught her breath, then explained, "It's Emil! He got hurt badly trying to protect me from…some girl. I think I recognized her a little from the Vanguard. Please, you have to come help! He was hurt really badly!"

Lloyd frowned and nodded, "I had a feeling this wouldn't turn out well. All right, Marta, take me to where Emil is."

Zelos responded, "Count me in too. I kinda owe it to Emil to help him out. Sheena, can you go find Raine and tell her to meet us back here at Mizuho?"

Sheena nodded, "Yeah, I'll do that. Good luck, you guys."

Marta told her, "You too, Sheena. Let's go, Lloyd and Zelos!" She took off running into the forest, leading the two swordsmen to where Emil and Kylie were.

When they arrived, Emil was lying on the ground and Kylie was standing over him, her sword positioned for a fatal blow to Emil's heart. She was going in for the kill when she heard a metallic _clang_ as her blade collided with one of Lloyd's. She cursed, "Damn you! You all just have to get in my way, don't you?!"

Zelos responded, grabbing Emil by the scarf and dragging him back away from Lloyd and the girl, "If it means keeping Emil safe, yeah we're going to get in your way!" He looked down at Emil now, getting a good view of his injuries. He flinched, "Geez, little bud. Didn't do much good against her, did you?"

Emil replied weakly, "I was…trying to protect Marta. Nothing mattered at the moment but that…"

Zelos smiled slightly at Emil's confession, but then picked him up and jumped back as Kylie attempted again to stab the boy. Setting Emil out of harm's way, he glared at the woman and drew out his weapon, "If there's one thing I can't take, it's people picking on my friends for no reason."

Kylie told him, "Oh, there's a reason, foolish Chosen of Tethe'alla. I was trying to kill Marta, who killed my dear friend Alice. This boy was foolish enough to try and get in my way and so he had to pay for that."

Lloyd responded haughtily, "Alice was a vindictive, manipulative person and you say you're her friend? Somehow, I doubt she saw you in the same way."

Kylie replied, "That's enough talk! Time for some more action!" She launched herself at Zelos, slashing at him relentlessly.

Zelos blocked each blow easily, glaring, "Is that all you got? Cause if it is, it won't be enough." He blinked, then moved his head to miss a blow meant for his face. He said, "Not the face!"

Lloyd charged in to help Zelos, slicing at Kylie's back. Normally he wouldn't resort to such a tactic, but Emil needed help badly and the last thing they needed was to waste time fighting some low-level Vanguard grunt. He told the girl, "Turn yourself in and I might let you live." These weren't things he would normally say, but they were in a desperate situation and desperate times called for desperate measures.

Kylie winced as his sword cut into the muscles near her spine. Seeing she was outnumbered and no alternative other than to run, the girl replied, "Fine…I give." She sheathed her short sword and walked away, heading to Meltokio to turn herself into the authorities, supposedly.

Emil was barely conscious now, but relieved to see that the girl who had been giving him trouble had finally given up. He told Lloyd and Zelos, "Thanks…you guys…"

Lloyd nodded, "You're welcome. Let's hope she doesn't show up again later. She was kind of annoying." He walked over to Emil and noticed how badly injured he really was. Flinching at the sight of the boy's injuries, he helped him to stand and told Zelos, "We should get him back to the village. Hopefully, Raine will be here soon."

Zelos nodded, "Yeah, I hope so too. Kid looks pretty bad."

Emil began to feel really weak and light-headed. He had lost a lot of blood from the injuries inflicted on him by Kylie. He nearly collapsed to the ground, but Lloyd caught him on his arm, the blonde boy's chest lightly bumping into it.

The red clad swordsman told the boy, "Come on let's get you back to Mizuho. Just hang in there…" He slung Emil's arm over his shoulder and put his arm around the boy's waist, holding him up.

Zelos said, "I'll lead the way if that's all right with you, Lloyd." He glanced at Emil with a concerned expression before turning around and beginning to lead the way to the small village.

Lloyd nodded after Zelos and followed. He told Emil softly, trying to keep the boy conscious, "Emil…I'm sorry I didn't say anything to you and Marta."

Emil looked confused, "What do you mean, Lloyd?"

Lloyd responded, "I knew that there were a few Vanguard in there because I had heard the reports from the Mizuho scouts. I should've told you and Marta before you left." He held a guilty expression on his face, feeling bad for not having mentioned it to them.

Emil shook his head, "It's not your fault Lloyd. We didn't really give you the chance to tell us that. You don't need to feel bad for this." He placed a hand on his forehead, not only feeling dizzy but also getting a headache. Could the sudden throbbing in his forehead have to do with his connection to Ratatosk?

Lloyd asked, "Emil, are you okay?"

Emil responded, "My head hurts…and I'm feeling really tired, thirsty and weak…but apart from that…I'm okay."

Meanwhile, in the Ginungagapp, Richter was kneeling on the floor near the gateway to Niflheim. He clutched his stomach and cringed at the pain in his back, feeling every ounce of the pain that Emil was in because of the fact that he had the core on his forehead, "Ratatosk…do you feel that?"

Ratatosk answered inside his head, _Yes, I feel all of the pain that_ _Emil is feeling right now_ _. I hope that the saviors of the World Regeneration can help him in time. I can only guess that he was attacked by something or someone._

Richter nodded, "That was my thought as well, Ratatosk. The only ones whom I can think would want to harm him are those in the Vanguard…but I already disbanded the Vanguard, and Marta's father is in prison…so who?"

Ratatosk asked, _Did Alice and Decus have any friends inside the Vanguard?_

Richter thought a moment then gasped, "Yes…they had quite a few friends actually. There was one girl who considered herself particularly close to Alice even though she was just a grunt. Her name was Kylie. She was from Palmacosta, and she joined the Vanguard not too long after Marta."

Ratatosk told Richter, _This Kylie girl sounds like a plausible candidate to have attacked Marta, not Emil. Then again, he_ _is very_ _protective of her._

Richter answered, "Yes, he is. It's likely that Marta was the target and Emil just got in the way to protect her. He did that once before."

Ratatosk responded, _Yes, I remember. In the cavern near Lake_ _Sinoa, you were trying to kill her and Emil intervened. I was shocked when he told me about it_.

Richter replied, "Yes, it was a bit of a shocker at that time considering how much of a wimp he was then. He rarely stood up for himself, but didn't hesitate to stand up for others. It was an endearing quality that Aster had too." He sighed as he thought of his former friend.

Ratatosk frowned, still feeling badly for having caused so much pain to the redhead, "I'm sorry, for what it's worth."

Richter shook his head, "It's all right, Ratatosk. You didn't know how much Aster meant to me. You can't have known, since you were hibernating when we were friends."

Ratatosk replied, "Very true, but it still doesn't erase the fact that I took a life without cause." He flinched as he started to feel really bad, "Ugh..."

Richter felt the same and told him, "Emil must be in pretty sorry shape. Hopefully their healer will arrive before he bleeds to death." He thought he heard Emil faintly trying to talk to them and looked confused, "Why would he...?"

Emil spoke weakly using the connection and said, "You two...just shut off the connection. I don't wanna be the reason that the Ginungagapp doesn't have a guardian."

Richter answered, "No, Emil. Right now, this connection is probably one of the few things keeping you alive. Have Lloyd and the others sent for a healer?"

Emil responded, "Yeah, Sheena went to get Raine. Hopefully she'll get here within...the next few hours." His image faded from the telepathic connection as his body grew weaker from blood loss. He went pale and lost consciousness as he was taken inside of the Chief's hut, where Sheena was staying now.

Sheena came back to Mizuho about 3 hours later, Raine and Genis on her heels. She went into the room where Emil was, Marta sitting there with his head on her lap and using some healing magic to keep him alive. She also had tears in her eyes and was quietly sobbing. In a shaky voice, she told Raine, "Please...help him. I don't think I could stand to lose him again...it would break my heart."

Sheena told Raine, "I'll take care of Marta while you heal Emil." She went over and put both hands on the thin girl's elbows, pulling her out from under the blonde-haired youth. "Come on, Marta, let's go talk to Tenebrae. I'm sure he has an update for us on how the Centurions and Ratatosk are handling having part of their leader half-dead."

Marta gasped, "I didn't even think about that! I hope everything's okay in the Ginungagapp!" She left the room with Sheena and Tenebrae appeared soon after to give them an update.

In the meantime, Raine began pouring healing magic into Emil, adding on to what Marta had already done. She told him, "Emil, you must survive. Marta and the rest of us still need you. You're just as important as Ratatosk, if not moreso." She seemed relieved when the wounds began to close. Although she didn't quite fully heal them, they were healed enough that Emil would heal normally on his own as long as he didn't overexert himself. He was still pretty pale and it seemed he would be painfully weak for a while, but at least he wasn't bleeding out anymore. She sighed in relief and bound his injuries with bandages before walking out of the hut to report his status to the others.

Marta was the first to ask, "How is he, Raine?"

Lloyd then asked, "Yeah, did you heal his wounds? He looked pretty bad off when Zelos and I got him here."

Raine responded, "He'll be just fine with rest and plenty of fluids."

The rest of the group let out a sigh of relief. Colette asked, "Is he up to having visitors?"

Raine nodded, "Yes, Colette, but only one of you at a time. I don't want to overwhelm him."

Zelos told her, "Then Marta, you go in and see him first. You mean the most to him." Like the rest of the group, he had picked up on the blossoming romance between Emil and Marta.

Marta blushed and nodded, "Okay. Thanks, Zelos...and everyone, for helping us out today. I was...so scared I would lose him again." Her eyes brimmed with tears as she hugged them all, one by one.

Lloyd got a little embarrassed, but returned the embrace anyway, and after he released Marta, he added, "Marta, you and Emil are part of us now. We're not gonna just sit around while someone tries to kill you. Anyway, you're welcome."


	2. Chapter 2 Irving News and Presea's Heart

Tales of Symphonia: Breath of a New Era

Chapter 2: Irving News, Kylie's Capture and Presea's Heart

As Colette and the others were visiting with Emil, Raine wrote some letters, as it was about mid-day and she was waiting to check on him again.

One to Presea, one to Regal, and one to her brother, who was now a student at Palmacosta Academy. Despite the unsubstantiated rumors of its racism, Lloyd and the others had found them to be just that, rumors. Everyone was accepted to Palmacosta Academy if they took the test and passed, regardless of blood. If she had timed the sending of all the letters right, Genis would just be starting his summer break when he received it. After the letters were sent, the eldest Sage sibling made her way back to Emil and Marta, to see how the blonde was doing.

She wasn't one to leave her charges alone for long. She entered the hut to find both Emil and Marta dozing lightly, Marta asleep with her head on Emil's lap. Once she came in, Emil awoke and opened his bright green eyes, looking at her and giving a soft smile. He muttered quietly, so as not to wake up Marta, "Hello, Raine."

Raine nodded to him and just as quietly responded, "Hello, Emil. Are you feeling better?"

Emil told her, "Still a little dizzy, but I think that'll go away once I've completely recovered. By the way, why did Marta come in alone? You know I can handle more than one person at a time."

Raine told him with a soft sigh, "Emil, don't push yourself too hard too fast. I know you want to see everyone, but you shouldn't feel crowded. Since Marta is asleep now, I'll take her to another room and tell Lloyd and Colette that they can come and see you together. But no more than two at a time, okay? I don't want you getting too excited." She gently eased Marta off of Emil and left the room carrying her.

A few minutes later, both Lloyd and Colette came into the room. Colette hugged Emil gently and told him softly, "Thank goodness you're okay! When Lloyd and Zelos were bringing you back, I was afraid you...weren't going to make it. You were so pale and shaky…" She had become more mothering to the group than ever before, which was very different from how she had been during the other two adventures she had with them.

Emil smiled and rubbed her back, replying, "Sorry for scaring you, big sis. Anyway, thank you guys for coming to my rescue. Without you, I might not even exist anymore. My consciousness probably would've been absorbed by Ratatosk. Anyway, what's gotten into you, Colette? You're more clingy than usual."

Lloyd, knowing the exact reason Colette was so emotional, replied, "...You'll find out later, Emil. Right now, we're just glad you're okay. Can you tell us what happened in the forest, or do you still want to wait to talk about it?"

Emil shook his head, "No, waiting means that Kylie might get away with hurting more of our friends, and I won't stand for that." He took a deep breath, then told them, "Marta and I were just talking...about you guys. I don't think anyone overheard us, but...anyway, while we were talking, I started to get the feeling someone was watching us. Marta kept on talking, and I let her go on, but still kept my ears peeled. When she was almost done talking, I noticed some light reflecting off metal and the girl attacking Marta. Before I even thought about it, I jumped into the path to Marta and protected her...which is…" He gently placed a hand on his slightly still-tender stomach, then continued, "How I got the wounds Raine had to heal, but...why did the girl want to hurt Marta?"

Lloyd told him, "We'll find out for you, Emil, but I suspect that it has something to do with Marta's ties to the Vanguard, or possibly...even from the fact that both girls are from Palmacosta."

Colette sighed and hugged Lloyd from behind, knowing of the guilt he still carried with him from not being able to protect the people of Palmacosta from the Vanguard. She told both of them, "Whichever one it is, Emil, I'm just glad everyone's okay. All right? Lloyd, let's let Emil rest a bit before he visits with Zelos and Sheena, okay? Besides, I…" She trailed off, her eyes going slightly big as she started to feel slightly sick to her stomach, "need to go see Raine about something. I'll be right back."

Lloyd nodded and left the room, leading Colette by her hand.

After a few moments respite, Zelos came into the room and patted Emil's shoulder, "You did good, kid." He thought a moment about what to ask about the attack, then said, "Did you catch the girl's name by any chance?"

Emil shook his head, "No...I was too busy protecting Marta and fighting for my life, but...Lloyd seems to think it may have something to do with the time she was in the Vanguard. Could that be true?"

Zelos shrugged, "It could, but even if it was true, would it matter? You love Marta, and you've forgiven her. It would be terrible if you were to hold her responsible for her father's actions." He was reminded of the conversation he had with Yuan before going to talk to Lloyd right after the events in Palmacosta. Despite the fact that none of Kratos's actions as a Seraphim of Cruxis had been Lloyd's fault, some people held Lloyd in contempt because he was in his late 20s but appeared to be in his teens still.

Emil nodded, "I know. That's not what I meant! I just...I want Kylie to be captured soon, either by the authorities or by one of us and taken to prison."

Raine walked in then again, to check on Emil's wounds once more. As she was in the corridor outside the room, she spotted a slip of paper that hadn't been there before and picked it up. She read to herself, then told Emil, having heard what he said, "It seems that Sheena agrees with you. However, catching her is not going to be easy. She's made it clear that she wishes to remain in hiding, by the simple fact of her leaving immediately when Lloyd and the others arrived."

Zelos nodded in agreement, then added, "Yeah, but we'll catch her one way or another." He smirked, getting an idea.

Raine immediately smacked Zelos, knowing the grin he wore all too well, "Zelos, no. We aren't going to use anyone as live bait."

Zelos responded, "It worked out last time, didn't it?"

Emil told him, "Only because Lloyd doesn't make all the dumb faces or poses that Decus did. Of course, at that time, I was only _guessing_ that Lloyd didn't act all that foolish. Now, I know for sure what he's like. But...anyway, if we use live bait, how do we know that they won't get hurt or killed? It'd be a huge gamble and I, for one, am NOT going to put you guys at risk like that." He had grown closer to everyone over the past eight years, including Marta, whom he was about to propose to. He just hadn't found a ring or worked up the courage yet. Noticing Emil's silence, Zelos elbowed him gently in the side.

He asked, "So, when are you going to pop the question to her, Emil?"

Raine rolled her eyes, "Zelos, you know that's none of your business."

Emil was shocked that Zelos had guessed that purely based on his body language, but told them, "I….umm...it's going to be a little while, Zelos. I need to buy her the most beautiful diamond ever."

Zelos told him, "Look, the way that Marta fawns over you, she'd take a plastic ring as long as she has you. Just go for it!"

Raine sighed as she shook her head and muttered, "Men…" She then cleared her throat, hoping that Emil and Zelos hadn't heard, and told Zelos, "Zelos, I need you to go now. I need to check on Emil's wounds, then check up on Colette as well."

Zelos frowned, "Something wrong with the little angel?"

Raine shook her head, then whispered into Zelos's ear, since Emil didn't yet know of Colette's pregnancy, and Lloyd and Colette had wanted to tell both Emil and Marta at the same time, "Colette is pregnant with twins. It's too early to tell the genders of course, but still...Lloyd and Colette are going to be parents. Normally it'd be happy news, but...well, with all the tensions in the world right now, is it really the best time for a child?"

Zelos shrugged and whispered right back, "Is it ever?"

Raine gasped, "Wait, Zelos...don't tell me Sheena is-"

Zelos nodded, "Yeah. Why do you think she didn't do much fighting when we went to help Emil?"

Raine immediately backed Zelos into a wall and asked him, "How far along is she?"

Zelos sighed and told her, "Four weeks in, but don't worry. I'm taking good care of her."

Emil, a little confused because his uncle had never really had 'the talk' with him, asked, "What's wrong with Sheena?"

Zelos and Raine both immediately went blood red and walked out of the room, embarrassed.

Tenebrae soon appeared, and seemed perplexed, "All of that time you had Lord Ratatosk inside you, Emil...he never mentioned...certain aspects of human relationships?"

Emil shook his head, "Nuh-uh. He told me he wanted to leave...certain discussions up to either the World Regeneration saviors, Lloyd and Regal in particular, or my human relatives. So….no, I don't know about...certain things."

Tenebrae sighed and muttered to himself, "And they call _me_ the spiteful one…" He then whispered the word sex into Emil's ear and disappeared.

Emil then got very confused by the word and went to see Lloyd. After a brief, but enlightening birds and bees talk, the blonde told him, "That's all it is? How come Raine and Zelos seemed so uncomfortable about it?"

Lloyd laughed and said, "Because they're very private people, Emil. It all depends on who you asked about it, which is why I'm glad you came to see me. In fact, Colette and I have some good news to share with you and Marta, sort of along that same line. Is she here?"

Emil told him, "Actually, Marta's asleep now, and it's getting late. Could you tell us tomorrow?"

Lloyd smiled and nodded, "Sure. Good night, Emil." He took Colette's hand and Emil walked off, going to bed. As the brunette collapsed onto the bed, he turned onto his side and placed a hand gently on Colette's stomach, as if to greet his unborn kids, "Good night, my babies."

Colette giggled and placed her hand on Lloyd's, just as excited as he was, "Yeah, this is going to be fun! I just.." She frowned a bit.

Lloyd sighed and told her, "Just don't worry about anything, Colette. I'll protect you and our children to my last breath. Like you, I'm a little worried about complications during your pregnancy with you having been the Chosen and all….but, let's worry about that later. Right now, I just want to enjoy a moment of peace with you and the kids, okay?"

Colette smiled and nodded in agreement, "Okay. But...Raine's coming to give me a check-up in a few minutes. Is that all right?"

Lloyd nodded, "If it will put your mind at ease, sure."

A few minutes later, Raine came into the room holding her staff and nodded a greeting to the two of them, "Sorry it took so long. I needed to change Emil's bandages."

Colette asked, "How is he doing? Is he fully recovered?"

Raine shook her head, "No, but he's asleep again. By the way, Lloyd, where did you and he go? He said you had a talk…"

Lloyd told her, "We walked by the river so I could explain a few things to him that his family never told him, and that you and Zelos were /too embarrassed/ to talk about."

Raine blushed, "Oh... _that_ topic. Well, I'm glad someone finally brought him up to speed. Thank you, Lloyd."

Lloyd nodded, then added, "You're welcome. Now...do the check on Colette that she asked you to do."

Raine did as Lloyd asked and performed a quick check up on Colette and the twins. She told them, "Everything looks good right now, but make sure Colette gets enough to eat and plenty of rest. She's going to have a difficult pregnancy because of it being a twin one."

Lloyd told her, "Got it. Thank you, Professor Raine."

Raine sighed and told Lloyd, "Lloyd, didn't I tell you to just call me Raine when we're alone? Besides, we're both adults. It's fine."

Lloyd shrugged, "It still feels awkward sometimes. You were my teacher."

Raine smirked and told him, "Not that you ever paid attention in my lessons."

Lloyd laughed, "Touche. Anyway, you should go get some sleep. If we're going to catch Emil's attacker tomorrow, we have to be at full strength."

Raine nodded, "Right. See you in the morning." She left the room, leaving Lloyd and Colette alone.

Lloyd put an arm around Colette and whispered to her, "Good night, Colette."

Colette smiled and kissed his cheek, "Good night, Lloyd."

Lloyd kissed her on the mouth, then touched her stomach and said, "Good night, kids." He dozed off after a few minutes, holding Colette close to him. After about an hour, the Chosen of Regeneration dozed off herself, an excited smile on her face.

The next day, Lloyd was the first one up. He kissed Colette on the mouth, trying to wake her up as well, and told her, once he realized she was awake, "Colette, we should have breakfast with everybody now! So, that way, if anything happens while we're trying to take Kylie in, they all know. What do you think?" Colette nodded. She agreed with Lloyd on this point, as good news could often serve as a source of excitement, "Yes, Lloyd, it sounds great! Do you want me to cook?"

Lloyd thought a moment, then shook his head, "Nah, let's let Genis cook. He's always the best at it, and I don't mind him knowing before anyone else. After all, Raine and he have been our friends for the longest. I'll go wake him if you want to get things set up for him in the community hut."

Colette nodded, then kissed him on the cheek, "I'll see you in a little bit." She walked away and went to get things ready for Genis.

Lloyd went to the hut the Sage siblings were sleeping in and knocked on the sliding door. A moment later, Raine answered the door and smiled slightly at seeing him, "Oh, good morning, Lloyd. You're up early. Any particular reason for that? Is Colette's morning sickness getting worse?"

Lloyd shook his head, "No, she's fine. Have you told Genis our news?"

Raine smiled and responded, "No, I was going to let you tell him."

Lloyd nodded, "That's fine. Do you mind if I come in and wake him up to tell him? Colette and I wanted him to make breakfast for everyone, so we can break the news before we go and catch the girl that hurt Emil." He waited for her answer, as he knew that Raine was somewhat a little more protective of Genis when he was sleeping, and his friend had arrived pretty late in the night, as he had left Palmacosta on his Rheiard the moment he received Raine's letter.

Raine told him, "Yes, that's fine, Lloyd. Do you want me to help at all?"

Lloyd responded, "How about you set the table, Raine?" He then walked over to Genis' bed, knelt down and gently shook his shoulder, to wake him. "Hey, Genis! Time to get up!"

Genis groaned and opened his eyes. Startled to see Lloyd so close, and a little intimidated by that for some reason, he scooted back a bit. He then sighed and said, "Good morning, Lloyd." He yawned and rubbed his eyes, then asked, "What's going on that you had to wake me up?"

Lloyd told him quietly, "Well...Colette and I are going to be parents, and we were going to have breakfast with everyone to-oof!" He chuckled and patted Genis' back, glad that his friend was so excited for them. He continued what he had been saying, "To eat breakfast with us to break the news, before we part ways with Colette and Raine. I think those two should head to Asgard, where they'll have some protection from the Vanguard, and more in particular, Kylie."

Raine added, "Actually, I need to make a stop at the World Tree first, to tell Yuan. After all, your other father deserves to know as well, Lloyd."

Lloyd sighed and said, "Kratos and I parted ways long ago, Raine...but do you what you want." The guilt from Emil getting nearly killed by Kylie was starting to rear its ugly head again.

Seeing the small amount of guilt in his expression, Raine walked over and put a hand on his shoulder, "Lloyd, listen to me. I know you feel bad that Emil got hurt...but you can't protect all of us all the time. It's like asking you to be everywhere in the world at one time, and you can't do that. Even if you were a full angel like Kratos, you still couldn't stop all the bad in the world." She looked to Genis, who looked a little bummed out now that 'all the bad in the world' had been mentioned. She walked over to her brother and hugged him.

Lloyd asked, "Professor…? Is there something going on at Genis' school?"

Raine sighed and told him, "It's nothing that you need concern yourself with. Regal is there handling it right now. As President of Lezareno, he now has a lot of influence in Palmacosta as well. He'll be here later with Presea after they ask for Genis to get a new roommate."

Lloyd looked confused, "Why would…? Wait, was Genis' roommate bullying him because he's a half-elf?"

Genis nodded and rolled up the sleeve on his right arm, showing a small string of bruises on it. He then put the sleeve back down and rolled up his shirt, showing bruises on his stomach as well, "Yeah, he was getting kind of abusive...but like Raine said, Regal's dealing with it. You don't need to get involved. You need to focus on finding Emil's attacker so that she doesn't hurt anyone else in our group. Okay, Lloyd?"

Lloyd nodded, "I will. But...where do you think I should start looking for her?"

Raine thought a moment, "I'd start with Ozette. If Emil was gripping her ankle hard enough, he may have injured her, and that's the closest town, other than here. I doubt she'd want to draw attention from Mizuho, so that's more than likely where she headed." Knowing about Colette's pregnancy though, and not wanting her left alone to raise twins, she warned Lloyd, "But be wary, Lloyd. She did a number on Emil, and I don't want your children to be fatherless. I'd let Zelos be the one to go after her."

Lloyd folded his arms, "Emil's my friend too!"

Raine sighed, "I know, Lloyd, but do you really want to leave Colette alone with Kylie roaming around?"

Lloyd's eyes went wide as he realized what she was saying, "Oh...good point."

Genis nodded, "Right...sorry, I forgot that Colette could be a potential target too. So, you want me to keep it secret from Presea and the others until you can tell them?"

Lloyd responded, "Yeah."

Genis gave a smile and nodded, "Can do. When is everyone getting here?"

Raine told him, "Well, Regal and Presea are coming by Rheiard from Palmacosta. So..you have about an hour, since they're dealing with your roommate situation. Zelos and Sheena are apparently expecting too."

Lloyd widened his eyes, "What? How come they didn't say anything about it earlier?"

Genis replied, "Because they knew you'd make a big deal out of it and try to keep them from helping Emil, and they didn't want that to happen. Duh."

Raine told him, "Lloyd, stay calm. Sheena's still early in her pregnancy, four weeks and three days in. In four days, she and Zelos should be able to find out if the child will be a boy or girl. Anyway, you should go round them up, Lloyd. I'll help Genis get to the community hut. He shouldn't try to walk on his own so banged up. I'll let him borrow a staff of mine while he's cooking breakfast."

Lloyd nodded and gently hugged Genis, being careful not to aggravate his bruises, "I'm sorry you went through all that, Genis."

Genis trembled and patted Lloyd's shoulder, tentatively returning the hug, "It's okay, Lloyd. Like Raine said, you can't be everywhere at once. Just do me a favor and stay my friend for the rest of our lives, all right?"

Lloyd smiled and chuckled, "Of course I will, you dork!" He released Genis from the hug and ruffled his hair, like he had done when they were kids. He then stood up and went to join Colette in the community hut. A few minutes later, Genis and Raine walked in as well.

Genis walked over to Colette and gave her a hug, "Congratulations, Colette! Lloyd told me your good news. So, is it a boy or girl?"

Colette giggled and told him, "Professor Sage said it's too early to tell that yet, but I'm sure once we /can/ find out, she'll let us know. Are you up to cooking breakfast?"

Genis nodded, "Sure, I can cook for everyone." He took Raine's staff from her and asked, "What did you guys have in mind?"

Lloyd thought a moment, then answered, "Maybe some pancakes, sausage and eggs?"

Genis smiled and responded, "Okay, I can do that." He then made his way to the cabinets and took out some pans, bending over carefully using Raine's staff so that he didn't aggravate the bruises on his stomach too much. He then began got out the ingredients needed from the cold storage bin against the wall. After he had finished that, he started making breakfast and asked Raine to go ahead and set the table.

Raine nodded and did as Genis asked her to, not really in the mood to argue.

Lloyd went to the hut where Zelos and Sheena were staying, waking them up so that they could eat breakfast and find out about the pregnancy. He knocked on the door three times and then waited for someone to come to it. A few moments later, Zelos woke up and went to the door, opening it. When he saw that it was Lloyd, he smiled and nodded, "Good morning, Lloyd. What's up, bud?"

Lloyd told him, "Genis is making breakfast for everybody. Colette and I have some good news to share with everyone, so...could you get Sheena up and meet us at the community hut?"

Zelos nodded his head, "Of course. I'll see you in a few minutes." He closed the door and went over to Sheena. He kissed her on the forehead and muttered, "Hey, little Banshee, time to get up. Lloyd has some good news, and wants us to have breakfast with everyone."

Sheena groaned and nodded, "Okay. I'll be there in a little bit. You go on ahead. This morning sickness stuff isn't easy."

Zelos told her, "Actually, I'm gonna go and get Emil and Marta. They should find this out too." He walked to the hut the two were staying in and knocked on the door. A few minutes later, Emil walked up, half-dressed. He asked, "What's up?" Zelos explained, then told him he'd see him in a few minutes. He shut the door and headed to the community hut. After everyone was in the community hut, Lloyd smiled and chuckled excitedly.

Picking up on Lloyd's excitement, Zelos asked, "What's got you so keyed up, bud?"

Lloyd responded, wanting to wait for Presea and Regal, "Presea and Regal should be here in a few minutes. I'll tell everyone everything then and not before, okay?"

Zelos groaned and nodded, "Fine."

Presea and Regal soon touched down and walked to the community hut.

Presea asked, "Is Emil all right?"

Raine nodded, "He'll be fine. He'll be here in a few minutes with Marta. Lloyd has some news to share with everyone while we're all here."

Regal smiled, kind of guessing what the news was.

Lloyd nodded, "Once Emil and Marta get here, I'll tell you guys." After what seemed like an eternity for the others, Emil and Marta walked into the room hand-in-hand, and barefoot. After they sat down, the young swordsman announced, "I'm going to be a father."

Regal gasped and smiled, nodding, "Congratulations, Lloyd."

Zelos smiled and nodded his head, "I guess it was good."

Lloyd blushed and chuckled, a little put off, but also amused by what Zelos implied, "Not that it's YOUR business. But yeah, we're having twins."

Marta gasped and asked Raine, "But...Professor Sage, isn't a twin pregnancy supposed to be more difficult than a regular one?"

Raine looked confused, but nodded, "Yes, Marta, it is….but, how do you know that?"

Marta replied, looking a little sad, "...I was born a twin...but, apparently my twin brother was stillborn. My mother blamed herself for that, and that's part of the reason my parents moved to Palmacosta when I was still little. They didn't want the awful memory of losing my brother hanging over their heads. I found this out during one of my talks with my dad while he was serving his sentence for forming the Vanguard." Before she could even say another word, Emil wrapped his arms around her and hugged her.

She smiled and settled into his embrace, feeling comforted. She told Emil, "Thank you, Emil. I was too little to remember him, but...my mom told my dad that he was a very beautiful boy when he came out right after I did. He told me the same thing, so….I can only imagine the grief my parents must have felt at losing a child like that." Regal and the others nodded in agreement. Sheena spoke up a few moments later, her hand on her baby belly, "It must've been painful for her...to go through all that pain...and then only have one breathing baby when you were expecting to have two." After that, there wasn't much said.

Raine, remembering an incident from when she was in her late teens, stood up and walked out of the room. Genis, somewhat remembering the same incident, told Lloyd and the others he'd be right back, and also asked Regal to accompany him. When the two guys reached Raine, who was sitting on the back porch, Genis asked, "Sis...you're remembering something from before we met Lloyd...aren't you?"

Raine nodded her head numbly and began to tear up, "Yes...when I was 18, I courted a human from Izoold who seemed genuinely interested...well, during one of our dates...one thing lead to another, and...we did a few things. A few days later, I found out I was going to have a child. Of course…" She frowned and trembled,having never spoken of what she was about to share with Regal and Genis to anyone, "that didn't last. I miscarried a short time later."

Genis thought a moment, then remembered a time when he was about 7, and Raine had claimed to just be sick. He told her, "...Wait, I remember. It was a few years before we met Lloyd and were still traveling! But...you told me then that you were just sick and very tired."

Regal, before Genis could 'discipline' his sister, spoke up and said, "You were also still a child, Genis. Raine likely told you that so you wouldn't bother her about it and wouldn't have understood even if she had told you what really happened. She was looking out for your best interests at the time." He went over and hugged Raine, impressed that she had kept this whole thing a secret the entire time, "I had a feeling there was a reason the unicorn wouldn't approach you. But...my guess is that the contact wasn't entirely consensual?"

Raine nodded and began crying softly. Regal held her, and after a few minutes, Lloyd, Marta and Emil came over to make sure Raine was all right.

Regal spoke for Raine as she tried to pull herself together, "Raine is going to be all right. She was just reminded of a particularly...painful experience from her younger days when hearing about Marta losing her brother and Lloyd's news. I'm not entirely sure how since those two aren't necessarily doomed to have that same fate, but….I suppose we'll see what happens."

Lloyd, now kind of curious, asked, "...Raine, would you starmind telling us what it reminded you of? Or is it too painful to talk about?"  
Raine managed to speak again and told him, "It was a few years before we moved to Iselia….Genis and I were wandering Sylvarant. We were near the fishing village of Izoold when I caught sight of a particularly attractive human boy. We started writing letters to each other and even began courting. Things got very serious….but then, after he found out I was half-elven….he left me. After one night of….very intimate contact." She trembled and sighed.

Lloyd frowned, "That's awful. I'm sorry that happened to you, Raine. But...you have Regal, Genis...and all of us now. We'll make sure nothing like that happens again." He gently hugged her, then looked at Zelos and Sheena, telling them, "And good luck to you two with your baby."

Zelos smiled and nodded, "Thank you. Now, with that out of the way, shall we go and see if we can catch that girl, so no one else gets hurt?"

Regal nodded in agreement, "That sounds good, but where shall we go?"

Raine made a suggestion, "Let's start with Ozette. As I said before, she's probably not gotten very far if Emil managed to hurt her ankle in the struggle to keep her away from Marta. I just hope that she hasn't harmed anyone in Ozette, since Presea used to live there."

Presea spoke up and said, "If she did hurt anyone there, she'd better be ready to pay the price. I have a soft spot for the town, even if they don't like me that much because of the not-aging thing caused by my Exsphere before it was controlled. Anyway, we should get moving if we're going to catch her before it gets dark."

Lloyd nodded in agreement, but then turned to Colette and asked her, "Would you stay behind with Raine and Emil? I don't want our unborn kids hurt."

Colette smiled and nodded, then hugged Lloyd tightly, suddenly getting a very bad feeling, "Okay, Lloyd...but please, be careful."

Zelos asked Sheena to stay behind as well, for the same reason Lloyd asked Colette. She agreed, albeit begrudgingly, and Lloyd, Zelos, Genis, Regal and Presea all made their way to Ozette. They found the girl in Presea's house, where the pink-haired axwoman cornered her and told her, "It was not right of you to attack Emil and Marta. They had justification for their actions against Alice and Decus."

Kylie, not liking that she was cornered, shoved the girl back, telling her, "Maybe they did, but it's still robbing me of my family!" She then darted over to Lloyd, and told him, challengingly, "So, are you gonna be true to your word and kill me for not going to jail? Or were those just empty words so you could save the boy?"

Lloyd glared and drew his blades, responding to her challenge in the only way he knew how, "Oh no, I'm doing it. You're going down." He bore down hard on Kylie, the battle lasting a good long time, with him getting badly wounded during the course of the fight. After the two and a half hour struggle, Lloyd began to really feel the effects of his injuries and dropped one of his swords. Despite not wanting to stop, his body was beginning to work against him, it seemed.

Kylie took advantage of this and ran over to Lloyd, slashing him from his right armpit down to his hip and then stopping. However, despite her bad wounding of him, the redclad swordsman didn't immediately fall.

Because of the bad wound on Lloyd, his friends took immediate action and Zelos put a sword to her throat, "You're coming with us to prison in Meltokio, little lady. You're gonna answer for what you did to Emil, to me, and to Lloyd. You'd also better hope he survives that wound...otherwise, I might have to contact a certain Seraphim.

Regal, holding Lloyd up, told her, "Yes...Kratos wouldn't be very happy with you if he found out you harmed his son."

After the girl was tied up using some spare utility rope they found in a cabinet in Presea's home, Kylie was led out to the Rheiards, then the group flew her to Meltokio, explained what was going on to the prison guards and then left her in prison. After Kylie was in there, Lloyd nearly collapsed from his wound, but Regal caught him from behind and told everyone, "Let's go to Zelos's house and get Lloyd fixed up."

Zelos nodded his head in agreement and led the group to his house, "I'm not the best at healing magic, but we could always send Genis to Mizuho to tell Raine what's going on and have her let Marta handle the rest of Emil's care. He was already doing a lot better when we left, so it shouldn't be much longer until he's completely recovered, I wouldn't think." When they finally got to his place, Regal carried Lloyd up the stairs, to keep from tearing the wound on his side even more, and placed him on the bed in Zelos's room. Zelos then used Healing Stream on Lloyd and took the redclad swordsman's shirt off to use an herbal remedy Raine had shown him on it. After he had done everything he could, the redhead told him, "It's probably best that you rest and and take it easy until Raine gets here, Lloyd. We don't wanna risk re-opening it."

Lloyd sighed and nodded his head. He then lay back in the bed and dozed off.

Raine arrived with Genis a few hours later, while most of the group, except for Zelos, was asleep. She went to the room where Lloyd was asleep and quietly removed the bandages the red-haired Chosen had put on him. She healed up his wounds even more, then went to bed, having depleted a good portion of her mana to make sure her precious student was okay.

A few weeks later, while the group was vacationing in Altamira, a tall man of about 30 with dark hair and delicate features stood in the wedding chapel inside the hotel. Though he was just going about his job as usual, for some reason, he was really catching Presea's attention, and he noticed her too. She spoke up first and said, "He-hello...my name is Presea. WHat's your name?"

The man answered, "My name's Cedric. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintence, Miss Presea. Tell me, who's the lucky fellow?"

Presea told him "No one. I'm single at the moment. I was just walking by, but...uhmmm...pardon me if this is a little blunt. You don't seem the type for talking to random girls, if that makes sense."

The man chuckled and nodded, "It's understandable. After all, I am a priest for a hotel chapel. You're rather attractive, Presea. Would you….like to start dating?"

Presea smiled and nodded, though she had her doubts, "Sure, okay. But...wait, don't priests have to take a vow of chastity or something?"  
Cedric laughed and shook his head, "Not the hotel clerics. It's just the ones joining the Abbey. But, anyway….do you wanna talk right now or save all the talking for our date later?"

Presea giggled and told him, "We'll talk some now, and some more late. Does that sound good?"

Cedric nodded and the two talked for hours, at least until sunset. Once the man noticed how late it was getting, he told Presea, "Well, I'm sure you have somewhere you need to be. But, I work here just about everyday, so….you can come look me up anytime. So...will you go out with me or not?"

Presea thought about it a moment and nodded, "All right. I'll see you...when do you want to go on this date?"

Cedric replied, "How about the day after tomorrow?"

Presea smiled and nodded, getting excited about finally having her first boyfriend. She just hoped she didn't mess it up.


	3. Chapter 3 Altamira and the Razing of Miz

A/N: Sorry to have only mentioned Cedric in passing, but don't worry, he will come in again next chapter. I just already had so much content from the other plot ideas I had, that there was no room here. Next chapter, no worries. He will be there, even if it's only to assure Lloyd of his intent to marry Presea one day. And yes, Genis will react, but Presea will explain herself. So, no worries there. Plus, chronologically, there's such an age difference between them that I don't feel right about pairing them. :P

Tales of Symphonia: Breath of a New Era

Chapter 3: Fresh Disasters and New Life

The next day, Presea was hard at work in one of the offices at Lezareno, thinking about Cedric as she was going through one of the client databases, when she thought she heard someone screaming. Hoping that it was nothing terribly disastrous, the pink-haired woman carefully made her way towards the sound. As she arrived at the origin of the sound, she saw Marta lying on the ground near a few Vanguard soldiers that looked really ticked off.

She took out the pocket knife she usually kept in her cleavage and stabbed one of them in the back as a warning, though unlike Kylie, she _didn't_ push the blade through. She told them, "Unless you want to _join_ Alice and Decus, I would suggest that you back off. Now!" Another one ran around her and grabbed her from behind, holding her and pulling her back. He told her, "We're not going anywhere, little lady. And you and your friend Marta...well, you're going to be our bait for Emil _and_ Lloyd." However, before any of the other soldiers could react, Presea managed to break free of the soldier holding her by turning just slightly and kneeing him in the crotch. She then said, "No, we're not." After a few moments, the soldiers who hadn't been messed around with or injured, ran off.

The last thing they wanted was to get arrested like Kylie was. The soldiers who had been injured by Presea, gulped and told her, "All right, look...we'll leave you alone. Just please….don't tell Sir Lloyd that the first of us who got the jump on Lady Marta…." Presea, worried that she might've been injured, pressed him further and asked, "You what? And don't lie to me."

The soldier who had spoken up, told her, "He was rather brutal to her, banged her up pretty good. He also...forced himself upon her."

Presea glared and asked, rather angrily, "And which one of you was it?"

The soldier who had violated Marta, stood up and smirked, "It was I, Lady Presea. And I enjoyed every moment of it."

Presea teared up and said, "How...how could you?!" She tackled the man and started to pummel him, causing several tourists to stop and gape at the sight. A few moments later, Regal happened to be walking by when he noticed Presea having no mercy on a Vanguard man, and darted over, pushing his way through the crowd. When he got to Presea and the man, he pulled Presea off and shouted, "Guards! Come arrest these men right away!" He held Presea for a moment, so that she would calm down. After she did, Presea told Regal in a shaky voice, "One of them...violated Marta."

Hearing this, Regal told her, "But it is not our place to seek justice for that. It is up to the authorities in Meltokio, Presea. Besides, think of Alicia. Do you think she would want you to go to prison for assault?" Presea shook her head and walked over to Marta. She did her best to comfort the now-crying girl, who immediately latched onto her and released all of her injured feelings in tear form.

Regal spoke softly, rubbing Marta's back as he knelt down to their level, "Marta...we'll make sure that the man who did this is properly punished. Can you show me which man it was?"

Marta nodded numbly and walked over to the men the guards were holding. She went to the redhead soldier wearing the mask and slapped him, hard, though shaking from repressed rage and sadness. She yelled, " _He_ did it!" She then fell to her knees again and broke down crying again.

Presea went to Marta's side and hugged her, just holding her. She spoke up after about a minute and told her, "Marta...I am sorry I wasn't there to stop it, but you must move on. If you dwell on what this man did, you're letting him rule your life."

Thinking about what Presea said, Marta nodded, "Yeah...I guess...you're right. But...what about Emil? What if...what if he doesn't want me any more because of this?" Regal, knowing Emil, sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder, explaining, "Marta, Emil is very understanding, and I'm sure he knows that rape isn't consensual. Lloyd probably told him that when they talked. I wouldn't worry about it."

Marta nodded, then gasped and clung to Regal. She asked, "Would you go to Mizuho and explain? I just...I don't feel like going anywhere…I wanna rest." Remembering that Marta had also been brutalized and not just raped, Presea told Regal, "I'll go and tell the others what happened if you want to take Marta to the hotel to rest. I'm sure that at least Lloyd and Emil will want to be here with her for a short time."

Knowing of Lloyd's big heart and caring nature, Regal nodded, "You're probably right. But I'm hesitant to let him leave Colette in Mizuho after this. Granted, Sheena could tell the ninjas of the village to protect her at any cost, but...I don't know. With how bold the leftovers of the Vanguard are behaving, it doesn't really feel like anywhere is safe anymore."

Presea shrugged and told Regal, "Make sure you have some medical staff treat Marta as well. She was beaten up too, not just...violated."

Regal nodded and headed out for the hotel, to put Marta up in a room. Though he at first received a few glares, he told his staff, "Marta is a friend, and got hurt badly by some former Vanguard. If you have a problem with me placing her in a room free of charge, we can talk about it later." After reaching the VIP room on the 5th floor, where he knew they wouldn't be disturbed, he placed Marta on the bed.

Marta soon lost consciousness, and after adjusting her slightly so she wouldn't be sore when she woke up, Regal left the room and went to get his medical staff. They treated her bruises and injuries long into the night. That evening, Lloyd, Emil, Genis and Colette all arrived in Altamira, to be there for Marta. Though they didn't know everything, Presea did tell them that she had been brutally assaulted by the Vanguard.

She would leave it to Regal to relate the rest of what happened. Marta still probably wouldn't want to talk about it with anyone except maybe Emil, Colette and Lloyd. The group went into the hotel and as they arrived at the front desk, Regal was just making his way down on the elevator. Once he reached the bottom floor, he saw Lloyd and the others harassing the desk clerk a little, probably trying to find out which room was Marta's. He spoke and said, "Lloyd, Emil...it's all right. Marta's in the VIP room."

Seeing Regal, Lloyd and the others walked over, hoping he would know more. Though slightly embarrassed because he had been somewhat rough on the clerk, Lloyd asked, "Why's she up there all by herself? What happened?"

Regal took a deep breath, and explained, "A few former Vanguard showed up and beat her up, as well as…" He trailed off, ashamed that he had let something like this happen on his company's property.

Lloyd, picking up on that he had wanted to say more, but was unsure whether it should be mentioned, encouraged him, "If they did more than just kick her around, Regal, just tell us. I think at this point, we can handle just about anything."

Admiring Lloyd's courage and not wanting to beat around the bush any longer, Regal told them, "One of them raped her."

Lloyd gasped and clenched a tight fist, his eyes full of righteous fury as well as tears. He yelled and punched the wall, feeling he had failed his 'little sister'.

Emil was infuriated as well, and his eyes glowed red, a sign that he was ready to lash out.

Regal told them both, "You must both calm down. The man who did this is being held in prison in Meltokio and awaiting trial until Marta feels better. It's not our place to hand down judgment for what he has done." As much as he didn't want to admit it, Lloyd knew Regal was right, but he wanted to tell them what he was feeling as well.

Lloyd took a deep breath, then told them, "Yeah, you're right, Regal. I just...I feel like I failed her. When she said she was coming to Altamira for some more sightseeing after our little beach trip, I should've insisted on coming with her." He started tearing up a little, feeling for Marta, "I just...I was more concerned about Colette."

Regal sighed and walked over to Lloyd, placing both his hands on Lloyd's shoulders, "Lloyd, this isn't your fault, and you _should've_ been more concerned about Colette. She's carrying twins. That isn't easy no matter how you look at it."

Lloyd placed a hand on Regal's right wrist, responding, "Maybe it's not, but I still should've asked if she wanted me to. This whole thing could've been prevented if I had been there for her!" He trembled slightly and shrugged Regal off, running away.

Knowing exactly how Lloyd felt, Emil started to follow him, but was stopped when he felt Regal's large hand around his arm. He struggled, "Regal, let go of me! Like Lloyd, I failed Marta...only a lot worse."

Regal shook his head and pulled Emil back, "It is not your fault either, Emil. No one is to blame in this except for the man who raped Marta. It's just what is. We have to accept it, even if it is kind of rough. Just answer me something, Emil."

Emil took a deep breath and nodded, knowing that Regal was right. He then turned around to face him and asked, "All right. What's up?"

Regal responded, "Are you going to hold this rape against Marta whenever she wants to-?"

Emil shook his head, "No. I know it wasn't her fault. Besides, that'll...umm...make our...first time easier on her, won't it? I just hope that…." He trailed off, tearing up a little himself.

Genis walked over and finally spoke up, placing a hand on Emil's shoulder to help him stay calm, "You hope what, Emil?"

Emil answered, "I hope that _our first time_ doesn't give her flashbacks. I hope she knows I won't want to hurt her with it."

Genis sighed and shook his head, "I'm pretty sure she knows that you love her, Emil, and wouldn't force her into doing... _that_...unless you know it's okay with her. Don't worry about it so much." He then looked over and noticed that the elevator was going back up. "I...I guess Marta's awake. That, or one of the staff is about to come down."

Regal shrugged and replied, "We'll know momentarily."

Emil nodded and watched the elevator carefully. After what seemed like an eternity to the group, a nurse came down on the elevator and told them, "I'm sorry, but Lady Marta has turned in for the night. However, she asked me to ask you if you all would mind staying around for a couple of days before she dozed off."

Emil responded, "We can stay for a few days. I don't think it will hurt anything. Though...we should go find Lloyd-" Before he could finish what he was saying, a bright glowing orb of mana appeared in the lobby behind Regal, signaling the arrival of someone important. After the orb disappeared, Kratos Aurion stood there, not looking very pleased, but also seeming very tired. He very nearly fell over, but because of his proximity to Regal, the blue-haired noble managed to catch him and replied, "Kratos? What brings you back to us?"

Kratos replied, "Yuan told me that Lloyd was having a few problems. I came back to make sure he was all right. I _am_ his father."

Emil frowned, "Lloyd got very upset because Marta got raped."

Kratos walked over to Emil and put a hand on his shoulder, "Are you the friend that was attacked by a girl named Kylie?"

Emil nodded, "Yes, I am. But, she's in prison now, so don't worry. She won't be hurting anyone else. She did hurt Lloyd too, but that came with very severe consequences, so...she probably won't be free to roam the land anymore."

Kratos responded, "Life imprisonment. That sentence works, I suppose. Did you see where Lloyd ran off to?"

Genis spoke up, out of the surprise he felt, "Kratos! You came here all the way from Dherris-Kharlan?! But...couldn't that have killed you if you weren't very careful?"

Kratos explained briefly how he had arrived without dying, "I synced my bodily mana signature up with the frequency Yuan uses for his communication net with the comet. It was admittedly a little tricky, but I'm here, and that's all that matters to me. Now, unless there are any more silly questions, we should go and locate Lloyd."

Regal nodded and responded, "He headed in the direction of Mizuho. He more than likely went there to seek solace in Colette's arms." He smiled, not sure if Yuan had related the news of Lloyd and Colette expecting a child yet, "So...what did Yuan tell you about things?"

As they headed towards the Rheairds, and Kratos got his wings out, he said, "He told me that Emil there had been attacked, Lloyd and Colette had exciting news and that some of the former Vanguard are growing more bold. Beyond that, he said nothing. Why?"

Presea responded, "We'll let Lloyd tell you. After all, he is your son. Do you not trust him more than you trust the rest of us?"

Kratos rolled his eyes, though amusement played out in the ruby depths. Though he had admittedly taken his time trusting Lloyd's friends, he now felt a deep camaraderie with all of them. He replied, "Presea...you know it's not like that now. Can you at least give me a clue?"

Genis thought a moment, then smirked, having thought a way of giving Kratos a hint without completely giving it away, "Hmm...let's just say that in some ways, he's going to be what you are, at least biologically, to him, though he'll be around rather than leaving."

Getting an idea what Genis meant, Kratos smiled the biggest smile anyone had seen from him in a while. He then trembled, his repressed guilt from having left Lloyd surfacing. Seeing the pain in his expression, Regal told him, "I'm guessing you've figured it out then." He sighed and added, "Kratos, Lloyd is not upset with you for leaving. He understands, and is very happy with his life now. Just don't tell him we dropped you that hint. He might get angry with us."

Kratos smirked, but nodded, understanding completely why they didn't want Lloyd to know that Genis had clued him in, "I'll do my best to act surprised when he tells me." He then looked over, noticing that Emil was not moving from where he stood. He asked, "Emil, are you not coming with us?"

Emil shook his head, "No...I wanna stay here, with Marta. That's okay, isn't it, Regal?"

Regal thought a moment, then nodded, "That's fine. Just make sure that the staff knows you have my permission to stay for free for as long as you need. I know how important Marta is to you."

Emil responded, running over to Regal and putting an arm around his shoulders in a half-hug, "Thank you, Regal."

Regal replied, patting his back, "You're welcome. I'll see you later, Emil."

Emil nodded and waved to the group as they took off on their Rheiards and Kratos with his angel wings. He then asked, sort of yelling so he could be heard over the roars of the engines, "Wait...shouldn't Kratos _ride_ with someone rather than trying to fly after what he went through to come back here?!"

Genis and Regal both looked at Kratos, as if asking him with their eyes if he was okay to do that.

Kratos didn't give an immediate answer, and so Genis flew his Rheiard over to Kratos and took hold of his arm, telling him in a no-nonsense tone, "You can sit on the wing for a while and ride with me. You should rest at least for a short time, so that you're not tired when we get to Lloyd." He chuckled and then added, "Because, knowing Lloyd, he's not going to be able to keep from glomping you when he sees you, especially considering that you now know what we know."

The former Seraphim of Cruxis saw Genis's point and sighed. He nodded and sat on the wing, though he kept his wings out, just in case there was a crash. He trusted Genis's piloting skills, but the World Tree was still a sapling. It was likely not producing a _ton_ of mana yet, though the air did feel a bit more mana-saturated than it had before the worlds were reunited. Perhaps things would be all right now.

When the group reached Mizuho, Kratos felt Lloyd's mana signature in one of the huts and took off from Genis's Rheiard, making a beeline for it. Once he reached him, he noticed the dried tears on Lloyd's face and the surprised expressions on both his _and_ Colette's faces. He was also trying not to take notice of the fact that Lloyd's head was on Colette's lap. He detected two incomplete mana signatures growing within the former Chosen, and gave a soft smile. He nodded to Lloyd and Colette and greeted them, "Hello, Lloyd. Hello...Colette." It was the first time he had addressed her by her first name, but Lloyd was happy to hear it. He got up from where he lay and ran over to Kratos, hugging him tightly and breaking down crying. Kratos chuckled and returned Lloyd's embrace, happy to see him too. He told him, "Easy, Lloyd. I traveled all the way from Dherris-Kharlan so...I'm a little tired. Yuan told me that you and Colette had some exciting news to share. So...what's going on?"

Lloyd told him, "Oh! Right, you don't know! I'm going to be a father, Kratos!"

Kratos smiled and nodded, glad to hear it from Lloyd's own mouth. Though...the fact that there were two mana signatures growing with Colette rather than one, had him guessing that it was not just going to be one baby. He then asked, though more for confirmation's sake than anything, "And...boy or girl?"

Raine spoke up at that moment, from the doorway, as she had come to check on Colette and the twins, "We don't know yet, Kratos. It's too early to tell. Sheena is pregnant as well...and I'll give you two guesses as to who the father is."

Kratos chuckled and nodded, "I don't need the two guesses, I already know. Zelos is the father. Yuan told me that Zelos himself told him, when Sheena first found out. You are all trying to make me feel my age, aren't you?"

Raine hadn't seen Kratos _be_ this light-hearted before, but it was a welcome sight. She smiled and shrugged, "Not really, but if the shoe fits...after all, you are over 4000 years old."

Lloyd chuckled and folded his arms, out of annoyance, "Maybe he is, but technically...I wouldn't even be here if not for him, so...I can't really say anything against him." He then looked at Kratos again and added, "We are having twins though, so...we've been having Raine closely monitor Colette and the twins, to make sure nothing gets out of control."

Remembering what had happened with Anna a few years after she had Lloyd, Kratos nodded, "A wise precaution, considering Lloyd is _my son_." He trembled a little, remembering Yuan's words to him the night that Mithos had revealed himself to Lloyd and the group.

Colette spoke up, shaking her head, "Kratos, don't worry. Lloyd and I aren't bound to the same fate you and Ms. Anna had. I won't turn into a monster just from being together with Lloyd in that way."

Kratos asked her, "How do you know about Lloyd's mother?"

Colette replied, "Lloyd told me about her, well...as much as he could from memory, while we were journeying to destroy the Exspheres in this land. And I also know because Kvar mentioned her, remember?"

Kratos thought of the day that Kvar had spoken ill of Anna and nodded, though his hand unconsciously clenched into a fist at the mention of him, "Of course. How could I forget that day? It was the day _we_ ended him, and his reign of tyranny over the people of Palmacosta."

Lloyd, noticing the tension in Kratos's hand, gently patted his shoulder to try and calm him. After a moment, the redhead Seraphim calmed down and nodded in gratitude to Lloyd. Though no words had been spoken, it was obvious that Lloyd still had a calming effect on Kratos, even after all this time. As he was about to say something else, he heard a few raised voices just outside the confines of the village and tensed, "What the-?"

Kratos had heard it too and his hand instantly went to his scabbard.

Before anyone could react though, several blazing arrows landed on the hut that they were in and set the roof on fire. He also heard several other arrows be fired, but after that had happened, there were pained yells, as Presea and the others had dispatched the former Vanguard members, but too little, too late. Gasping, Lloyd rose to his feet and then picked up the pregnant Colette, now coughing from slight smoke inhalation, "Kratos, we've gotta get out of here! This whole place is gonna go up!"

Kratos nodded, "I'll make sure the children and innocent villagers get out. You make sure Colette, Raine and Sheena are safe."

Lloyd nodded, though he was shaking a little from fear. He then felt Kratos's hand on his shoulder, helping him calm down. After he had calmed down, he went to the huts where Sheena, Zelos and Raine were staying and told them to evacuate.

After the village had been _mostly_ evacuated, Lloyd checked to see who all was at the entrance to the forest. He saw Sheena, Zelos, Colette, and the majority of the village. It was a relief to see that they managed to evacuate the villagers...but where was _Kratos_? He asked Sheena, "Sheena, did you see Kratos when you and Zelos were leaving?"

Sheena responded, "Yeah, I saw him, he was talking to a little girl who looked very scared. She said she had...oh no." She teared up and trembled a little, mostly afraid Kratos had been hurt or burned.

Zelos looked at her curiously, "Sheena?"

Lloyd asked, "Sheena, what's wrong?"

Sheena told them, "The girl said she had gotten separated from her mother when they were leaving their house. Kratos volunteered to go back and search for her, as long as she escaped to the forest. You don't think…?"

Lloyd replied, "Kratos will make it here, even if he endures a few burns to save that woman." He looked over the small crowd gathered and told them, "My father, Kratos Aurion, stayed behind and risked his life to help one of your fellow villagers, a woman he barely knows. He said a little girl told him she got separated from her when we were evacuating. Would that little girl please step forward at this time?"

A little girl, no older than 7, stepped forward and said, "It's me, sir. Your daddy is a brave man! My name's Mizuna, and my mother's name is Machiki. Do you think they'll get here okay?"

Lloyd nodded, having absolute faith in Kratos's ability to get himself out of trouble just as easily as he got himself into it. Not long after that, Kratos emerged from the ruins of the village, coughing heavily and pushing the woman toward the crowd. He also had some burns on his arms and shoulders, his cape draped around the woman like a dress. A few moments later, Presea and the others emerged from the brush near Kratos, moving to stand in front of him in a semi-circle to keep curious villagers at bay. However, they nodded to Lloyd, to indicate that it was okay for him and Raine to come over and check on him.

Lloyd got a relieved look on his face and darted over with Raine, rubbing Kratos's back gently as he arrived at his side. Raine checked on Kratos and told them, "He has some second degree burns on his arms and shoulders, and has inhaled a lot of smoke, but he should make a full recovery. How did you get burned like that, Kratos?"

Kratos explained, breathlessly, "I found the girl's mother, buried under some burning debris. Without a second thought to my own safety, I dug her out of it and put out the fire that had set in her clothing. She was barely breathing, but I managed to resuscitate her and wrapped her in my cape." He coughed again and wheezed some.

Noticing this, Raine frowned and checked him again. She sighed, "There was also some minor singing of Kratos's airway and lungs. But the damage should repair itself if he gets enough rest, him being a Seraphim and all."

Lloyd nodded, "Thanks, Raine. Where should we go now?"

Sheena suggested, "How about we go to Altamira for now? I know Regal, Presea and Emil aren't expecting us, but...there's really nowhere else I can think of."

Zelos nodded, "It sounds good. And it'll be a safe place for you to give birth when the time comes, my little Banshee." He hugged her and kissed her cheek, holding her close. He was relieved that they had gotten out safely. When the large group of people reached Altamira, having followed Lloyd and friends' route on the Rheiards, though along the ground rather than in the air, Regal was there to greet them. He noticed that Kratos looked a little rough in appearance and asked, "What happened?"

Lloyd explained, "Some former Vanguard tried to kill the people of Mizuho. I'm not sure if it's the same ones that hurt Marta, but….they were definitely not happy with us. I'm guessing that Kylie had a lot more friends than we figured on. And..Kratos almost died trying to save a villager who somehow got separated from the rest. Raine's helping him though."

Regal nodded, "It sounds like you all had a rough day. As for the people of Mizuho...they are welcome to stay here until they can rebuild elsewhere."

Sheena told Regal, nodding, "Thank you, Regal."

Regal smiled and told her, "It's no trouble, Sheena. It is your hometown, and you're one of my friends. I don't mind assisting a friend when he or she is in trouble, and it seems like you're in over your head, especially considering your...predicament." After a few moments, the people of Mizuho dissipated, going to stay in the rooms of the hotel per Regal's permission.

After the people of Mizuho were inside, Emil came out of the hotel, looking rather tired. He yawned softly, then went over to Lloyd and company and asked, "Back already?"

Lloyd nodded, "Yes, Emil...Mizuho's been burned to the ground."

Emil gasped, "That's...that's terrible! Who would organize something like that?!"

Sheena replied, "Someone who has _no_ respect for me, that's who. It was a few leftover Vanguard soldiers, that much we do know."

Lloyd frowned, "...It could be someone from Palmacosta too. Someone who was a personal friend of Kylie's family, and if that's the case...what happened at Mizuho makes sense. They were probably..."

Kratos sighed, knowing of the guilt Lloyd held for the Palmacosta riots because of what Yuan said to him, "Lloyd, there's no knowing _for sure_ if it was anyone like that. And besides, as Raine, Regal, and the rest have no doubt _told_ you, what happened in Palmacosta was _not_ your fault. You did everything you could, and that's all anyone can ever ask of you." He walked over and put a hand on his son's shoulder.

Lloyd nodded, "Yeah, you're right, Dad. Oh...speaking of my father...has anyone sent a letter to Dirk, so he knows he'll, kind of, be a grandfather too?"

Zelos shook his head, "Not really, but you can write to him tonight when we get everyone settled in."

Later that night, everyone got settled in and Lloyd wrote a letter to Dirk. In it, he summarized everything that had happened to him, and gave him the news. It read as follows: _Dear Dad, I'm sorry I can't be there with you right now to tell you this, but...you're going to be a grandfather! Colette and I are having twins. We haven't quite settled on names yet, but we're leaning towards Edmund, Emily, Anna and Travis. We have those four names so that we would have enough to choose from no matter how the genders end up. But….we do need to get it down to three, so...hoping that we can do that by the time we see you again. So...a lot's happened in the last week. Emil got attacked in Gaoracchia Forest, Marta got brutally beaten up by the Vanguard and Kratos has come back. And to top it all off, Sheena's going to have her baby in about 9 months. Childbirth can be exciting, but Kratos is telling me now that it can also be very scary. He might be thinking of what happened with my birth mother, Anna. However, Colette and I have Raine looking after her to make sure that when our kids are born, the same thing won't happen to her that happened to my mom. I miss her a lot more now than ever, though...apparently, she's been coming to visit Colette in her dreams. Right now, I'm the only one that knows that and it's kind of awesome to hear that. It's our little secret, because...I think if Kratos knew, he'd feel a little left out, to be honest. But anyways, I'll hopefully see you in a few days. Love, Lloyd_

Having finished the letter, Lloyd handed it to the messenger for Altamira and had him deliver it to Dirk in Iselia. Upon reading the letter, Dirk smiled and nodded, excited at the prospect of being a grandfather. Maybe he would have someone else he could teach the Dwarven Vows to, other than just Lloyd now! Whatever happened, he was glad Lloyd was having a happy marriage and a good life. It meant he had done something right. Kratos felt exactly the same way. Despite not being there for the majority of his son's life, he felt proud of him.

Roughly nine months later, Sheena and Zelos were talking to some of the villagers from Mizuho, congratulating them on finally finding a new place to live, when Sheena's water broke. She gasped in pain and squeezed Zelos's hand, hard, as the contractions began, "Oh, Martel, this hurts! Zelos, it's time!"

The villagers, having known of Sheena's pregnancy, urged the former Chosen of Tethe'alla, "Take her to Meltokio Hospital! They can give her far better care than we could, since we're still getting things set up!"

Zelos nodded and took out his yellow-orange angel wings. Though he didn't usually don them that much these days, he deemed it necessary to do so now, so he could get to Meltokio Hospital before Sheena gave birth on the street of Altamira. Not that he didn't like the place, but it wasn't exactly sterile. He then picked Sheena up and flew off.

Hours passed, and Lloyd and the others soon arrived in Altamira as well, having come there to meet up with Cedric, Presea's new man. Moments after they landed, Zelos ran over and told them, "About time you guys got here!" He was very on edge and a little worried, having been told to stay out of the delivery room.

Lloyd told him, "What do you mean, Zelos?"

Zelos explained, "I mean, Sheena is giving birth to our little girl, RIGHT NOW!"

Genis blinked, "Oh, it was already time? I guess time really does fly when you're not paying attention. So, did you two decide on a name?"

Zelos nodded, "Her name's Nikita Wilder. And we decided to forego the second name thing."

Lloyd replied, "It's a tradition in Mizuho, or so Sheena said, but...I guess you found the practice stupid, huh?"

Zelos explained, "Yeah, it felt kinda redundant." Hearing Sheena's labor screams in the distance, he clenched a fist, trying his hardest to stay strong for her sake, for he knew she would be in tears once she saw her baby. Sebastian (or whatever the name of his family's butler is...if I got it wrong here, you can tell me in a review) had told him that upon seeing his face for the first time, his mother was the same way. Whether it was the hormones involved or the amount of bloodshed involved in a live birth, she had also shed tears on seeing him for the first time.

Several hours later, there was a loud, wailing cry of a baby girl, as Nikita Wilder took her first breath of life. Sheena gave a faint gasp, then smiled and cried a little on seeing her precious baby girl. She told the nurse, "Go tell...my husband, Zelos...he can come in now, and anyone else from my group of friends that may have come are also welcome to come in as well."

The nurse nodded and walked to the corridor where Zelos and the others were waiting. She told them, "Congratulations, Chosen. You have a happy and healthy baby girl. She's 7 lbs, 8 ounces and 21 inches long. Also, Sheena says you can all come see her and Nikita. Just please be careful. Babies are delicate."

Zelos teared up and nodded, happy to hear that Sheena had a successful delivery. He ran through the doors and went to Sheena's side.

Everyone else joined him soon after.

After they had worn themselves out talking, the group dissipated, Lloyd, Emil, Regal and Presea going back to Altamira and Genis going to Palmacosta to return to his schooling. Kratos went with Lloyd, as after what had happened in Mizuho, he was more hesitant to leave him and Colette unguarded. Though things were starting to calm down a little, this probably wouldn't be the last they would hear from the former Vanguard group.


	4. Chapter 4 Cedric, New Lives and Half-elf

Breath of a New Era

Chapter 4

Healed Heart, New Life and Half-elves

The next day, Lloyd and the others, save Zelos because he wanted to stick close to Sheena and Nikita until the problem with the Vanguard had been solved, were at the Altamira hotel, having agreed to meet with Presea's new boyfriend there for some dinner and light conversation. As they made their way down from the VIP room, they saw a Vanguard soldier pinning him to a wall, telling him that if he didn't join his sister soon, he might have to kill the President of Lezareno in order to stay alive.

Overhearing this, Lloyd clenched a fist and told them both, "What makes you think we'll let you lay a finger on Regal? Cedric, I thought Presea said you weren't with the Vanguard."

Cedric explained, "I'm not. They've approached me a few times about joining because Kylie's in it, but each time, I've told them no. And I'm _telling_ them the same thing this time. I just want a life of peace, and the Vanguard can't give me that." He looked at the soldier pinning him and added, "So, you just take your ideals and stuff them up your ass, because I'm _not_ going to join you, no matter how many times you approach me."

The soldier laughed, "Very well. Then, I hope you will enjoy having Marta dragged through court."

Lloyd clenched a fist, "You mean the pervert that touched Marta actually gets a trial?! He should just be thrown in the Colosseum and left alone for what he did!"

Regal sighed and put a hand on his shoulder, "As much as I agree with you on this, Lloyd, justice must have her day as well. If not every side is heard, then the soldier who did this will feel like he's been cheated out of a fair chance to explain."

Presea gulped and responded, "I don't think he _should_ get that chance. Not after how he treated Marta!" She thought a moment, then gasped and added, "Wait...going through a trial is gonna be tough on Marta. She'll...have to keep talking about what happened."

Raine sighed and told her, "Yes, but with us by her side, she'll make it through the trial just fine, and the guy will be put in prison. At least, I would hope so."

Cedric nodded, "I'll be sure to put in a good word for your friend as well. I was at the hotel with Emil when I heard her screaming. That should be proof enough to the judge and jury that she didn't _want_ what that Vanguard soldier was doing to her."

Colette, a little confused and concerned, asked, "Would someone...really try to say that Marta _wanted_ that kind of contact with someone she doesn't know?"

Regal sighed and nodded, "Yes. As much as it shames me to say it, there are people in Altamira that wanna shed a bad light on Marta for the time she served the Vanguard. But, don't worry. As her friends, we can put in a good word to keep her on the fair side of things as well."

Lloyd nodded, "All right. Then, let's head to the courtroom. Assuming that's where we're needed right now."

Raine replied, "I'm guessing we will be."

A short time later, Lloyd and friends arrived at the courtroom in Meltokio, ready to help Marta get through the tough times. She gasped and ran over to Lloyd, hugging him and crying onto his shoulder. After holding Marta for a moment to let her calm down a little, he gently eased her off him and said, "Marta...I'm sorry we didn't get here sooner. We were meeting up with someone. Presea's new boyfriend, to be exact. Did she tell you..?"

Marta smiled a little and nodded, "I'm glad she found someone. She told me when she, Regal and Emil were staying with me before you guys arrived from Mizuho. So what's he like? Presea only told me a little bit about him, and I've not really gotten a chance to meet him in person."

Lloyd told her, "He's super nice, aside from the fact that he has Kylie for a sister."

Marta gasped, "Wait...isn't Kylie-?" Before she could finish her thought, Colette spoke up and said, "Yes, she is the one who attacked Emil, but Cedric's not like that at all. When we were talking to him at dinner, he explained to us what happened to their parents and why his life took a different direction from hers. While she was angry at the world for their parents dying, he wasn't mad at anybody about it. He just accepted it as his lot in life and moved on, internalizing all that pain. Around, I think he said his 9th birthday, he wanted a life of peace, and he knew the Vanguard would never be able to offer him that, so he started studying to be a priest that day." She gasped and then giggled as she felt the twins moving around inside her, placing a hand on her stomach.

Lloyd noticed the motion and walked over to Colette. He whispered in her ear, "Are you okay?"

Colette nodded, "I'm fine. The twins just startled me a little."

Lloyd nodded, put his arms around her in a loose embrace, and placed a hand on top of hers, chuckling as he felt the little ones moving towards his hand, "They seem extremely happy."

Colette told him, "Maybe they're just happy you're so close by." She smiled and leaned back into him, tilting her chin up to kiss his cheek.

Kratos smiled and told them, "Whatever the reason they have for being so energetic, I'm just glad that they'll have you two to raise them. I take it you're not having any problems, Colette?"

Colette giggled and shook her head, "No. In fact, it's been a pretty easy pregnancy for the most part. The toughest part was the first few days. I had morning sickness every day. Now though, it's getting easier to deal with. My ankles are swollen a little, but they don't hurt. At least, not that much."

Kratos nodded, "I am pleased to hear that." He then asked, moving a little closer to Colette, "May I-?"

Colette smiled and nodded, "Of course, Kratos."

Kratos placed a hand on Colette's belly as well, smiling a little when he felt the twins moving. He told her, "They seem healthy. I'm glad you've not had any difficulty." He frowned a little, a dark thought crossing his path.

Lloyd told Kratos, "So far, no, she hasn't. I hope it stays that way, but there are no guarantees of anything. I'm sure you know that, though, Dad." He kissed Colette's cheek, trembling a little.

Noticing his trembling, Raine asked, "Lloyd..is something wrong?"

Lloyd replied, "It's just…"

Colette shook her head, not wanting Lloyd to burden their friends with the knowledge of what she told him to do if she didn't survive childbirth. Though, she had spoken to Zelos and Sheena a few hours ago, just to make sure they would be ready. She told him, "Lloyd, don't worry. I know the delivery won't be easy, but I'll have you there, holding my hand, and Raine as well." She lay her head on his shoulder, then stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

Lloyd nodded and pulled her just a bit closer, though careful not to hurt her or the unborn babies, "Yeah, you're right." As the young man continued to speak with his friends about the upcoming trial for Marta's rape, a court clerk walked over and asked, "So...is it true?"

Emil looked confused and asked, "Is what true?"

The clerk replied, "Rumors are going around that Lady Marta is pregnant as a result of her rape. Is that so?"

Emil glared and clenched a fist, not liking that rumors had already started about her. He told the lady, "She's NOT pregnant. Or...if she is, she hasn't told us, and we're her friends. So...either buzz off and leave us alone, or check the source of that rumor. You've been lied to." He walked over to the doors to the courtroom and sighed, leaning on the wall beside them.

Lloyd spoke up and said, "I'll be glad when this whole thing is settled. It's bad enough Marta had to go through what she did once...but having to re-live that memory just for evidence? I can't...I can't imagine how scared she must be." He looked over at Marta, who was now clinging to Emil and shaking very badly.

Emil kissed the top of Marta's head and told her quietly, holding her to try and calm her down, "If you need me to stay near you while you tell the jurors what happened, I'll ask the court to let me do that. It's not fair you should have to…" He trailed off, feeling Marta's tears falling onto his shirt. He rubbed her back and continued, "go through that pain a second time by yourself. Bad enough I wasn't there to protect you the first time."

Marta sighed and shook her head, "No, Emil. What happened to me wasn't your fault. You need to stop being so hard on yourself. You and Lloyd both. You can't always protect everyone, as much as you'd like to."

Kratos nodded, in agreement with the girl. He then added, "If there's nothing else, I believe we are needed now."

The court clerk replied, "Yes, we need Marta now. Since all of you are her friends, you are free to watch the trial. And, Sir Emil...I will ask the judge about you being allowed near the witness stand for Lady Marta, but I can't make any promises."

Emil told her, releasing Marta from the hug but still holding her hand, "As long as you try, that's all I care about. Something like this...no one should have to go through alone." He then walked into the courtroom with Marta, following the clerk.

After the clerk cleared it with the judge for Emil to stay near Marta, she nodded to show that the judge had approved and took her seat. The trial then proceeded.

Many hours later, the Vanguard soldier that had brutally attacked Marta was found guilty on all charges and shipped out of the courtroom to Meltokio Prison. The sight of this made Marta gasp and tear up out of relief. No other girl would have to experience the trauma she did. She got down from the witness stand and was soon joined by Emil. A little happier, but also exhausted, the young girl told her friends, "That was some trial, huh?"

Colette smiled and shrugged, "It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be." A moment later, she felt some wetness between her thighs and let out a soft gasp, then a yelp. She walked over and leaned on one of the benches. It was time! The twins were coming. They were a few days early, but Raine had explained that sometimes, in cases with more than one child, the mother would go into labor early. Lloyd took Colette's hand and teared up, both scared and excited. He told Raine, "Professor Sage, it's time!"

Raine nodded, "Let's hurry and go to Iselia. I believe that's where Colette said she wanted her children born, and we need to get moving."

Colette muttered, "There's no time. They're coming...NOW!" She screamed as she felt her contractions coming on and pushed as Raine had told her to do.

The judge from the trial said, "That girl must have her child elsewhere, this is no delivery room!"

Lloyd wheeled on the judge and told him, "We're doing what we can to get her moving, okay? She's having more than one baby, so it might take a second!"

After Colette's contractions had slowed their pace, at least somewhat, they took her to a hospital so she could give birth to the twins without worrying about her children picking up any ailments. At one point during the long process of labor, Colette's heart stopped and he and Raine were asked to leave the room by the doctors. Lloyd shook his head and screamed at them, "No, I'm NOT leaving her side! Colette said-!"

The doctor grabbed Lloyd's chin and told him, "I don't care what she told you before; this is my hospital and we go by my rules. We're going to restart her heart so she can finish giving birth, though we'll keep her on oxygen for the rest of it. She's having a tough time." He shoved Lloyd out of the room and Raine glared at him before going out the door to make sure that the swordsman hadn't been injured by the doctor. "Lloyd?"

Lloyd sighed, "I'm fine...but...Colette…"

Zelos asked, worrying because Lloyd and Raine had been kicked out also, "Is something going wrong, you two?"

Raine nodded, "Yes, terribly. Colette's heart stopped. They're going to bring her back, but...as I told Lloyd when they first conceived...it's not going to be easy." She sighed and went to sit down in a chair.

Hours later, a doctor walked out and told them, "You all are friends of Mrs. Colette Irving, correct?"

Lloyd nodded, "Yeah, we all are. She's my wife, even. Is she...is she alive? Is she okay? Are the twins-?"

The doctor explained, "She's fine, just resting. And the twins are both alive. One of them we had to put on oxygen though. She had a weak heart."

Lloyd frowned, but then nodded, "Which baby?"

The doctor told him, "The baby girl, delivered second. Do you have some names?"

Lloyd nodded, "The boy is Edmund Kratos Irving and the girl is Emily Freya. Is it okay if I go in and see them now?"

The doctor nodded, "Sure, but please be quiet. Colette has had a difficult delivery and needs to rest as much as she can. Oh...and I have some unfortunate news. Her uterus tore when she was giving birth, so she can't have anymore children. And...for the first little while…" She looked directly at Lloyd while saying this, "intercourse will be painful for her. But she'll get over it. You may go and see her now." Once the doctor had gone to her office, and Colette had been taken to a recovery room, Lloyd and friends went into the room to see her, and Edmund. Emily had to stay overnight in the NICU because of her weak heart. After everything settled down, Lloyd crawled into bed next to Colette and put his arms around her, dozing off.

The next day, as the group was about to split up and go their various ways, a woman in her late 30s or early 40s approached the group. Lloyd nodded in greeting, "Hello miss. How are you today?"

The woman responded with some sarcasm and hostility in her tone, "Oh, just peachy. Did you know that my son is now having to live at home again?"

Zelos asked, "And that has...what, to do with us exactly?"

The woman looked back at Zelos and told him, rolling her eyes, "Oh, don't act like you don't know. My little boy, Wendall, is attending Palmacosta Academy. He had Genis there for a roommate. They had a wonderful arrangement too."

Genis walked closer to the woman, looking ready to punch her in the face, and said, "If by arrangement, you mean me being basically a punching bag for him to vent on, then yeah, we had an arrangement all right."

The woman glared, "Don't test me, boy. You're lucky you have connections." She shoved Genis, causing the boy to yelp in pain and look back at Raine.

Raine folded her arms and stormed over to the woman, "You keep your hands off my brother! It's bad enough that he was getting bullied by your son."

The woman told her, "You wanna go, half-elf bitch? Cause I'll take you on right now!"

Raine told her, "There's no need for violence. I was simply trying to protect my brother, just as you would your son."

The woman responded, "Oh, there's plenty of need. Half-elves are invading!" She punched Raine in the gut and ran off.

Raine fell down and trembled, her hand clenched into a tight fist and looking like she was on the verge of tears.

Regal knelt down to her and held her close, whispering a few comforting things in her ear before helping her up. Noticing the bruise on her stomach, he trembled from rage and looked the direction the racist woman had run off in. He added, "She had better not show her face around here again."

Genis hugged Raine gently, "All this...just because we're half-elves. It's just not fair…"

Raine sighed, "Thankfully it was only one woman, Genis. And besides, with all the other conflicts in the world right now, that woman may be the only half-elf hater we see."


End file.
